


Glue

by Roryfinn



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crying, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I can’t tag, M/M, Self-Doubt, Stephen Strange Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24800071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roryfinn/pseuds/Roryfinn
Summary: “But you don’t understand, I do! I have to be the glue that holds us all together because let’s face it. The team would be a mess if I broke. I can’t do that to everyone else. I must be strong for everyone else.”Or: Stephen Strange breaks...
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 5
Kudos: 77





	Glue

1:37 A.M.

He felt like the clock was mocking him. He was facing his husband. His arc reactor glowing faintly under the blanket. 

He sighed and turned over on his back to stare at the ceiling. His chest was tight and the air felt restricted. His breaths were becoming short and rigged. His scarred hands were shaking. 

Strange slowly turned to get out of bed. Afraid of waking Tony. He got off the bed, his husband only slightly stirring in the process. Stephen walked to the living room and sat down on the couch cross-legged and grabbed a pillow, clutching it to his chest. The tears were slowly streaming at this point but he still felt the need to hide them behind the endless fake smiles and glances. It was hard enough being Sorcerer Supreme, but faking the smiles was harder. 

He tried to wish the tears away, still too ashamed to crack. But one of the most painful things was trying to conceal the tears once they’ve fallen. 

He gave up trying to hide them, hanging his head in defeat, he began to think about all the time's Wong and Christen told him how much happier he looked. That his face had a new glow. That was by far the most painful thing to hear. 

When you are constantly hiding behind a mask you almost want your true identity to be revealed. For people to see just how broken you are so maybe, just maybe, something will change. But you never take that risk. And if someone even gets close to taking the mask off you reassure them that it’s fine and that your mask stays on. It doesn’t mean it hurts any less when you find out your mask is too good. 

A sob etched its way through Strange's throat. He screwed his eye shut willing himself to be quieter. 

Tony turned to spoon his lover only to be met with cold sheets. He groggily blinked his eyes seeing that his husband was nowhere to be found. Only then does he hear the muffled crying. 

He furrows his brows and gets up out of bed and slowly makes his way over to the door. Slightly opening it he sees a silhouette sitting on the couch hunched over, who he could only presume was his husband. 

“Stephen?” Tony’s tone was very quiet and hushed. It was like he was talking to a child. 

Strange turned his head to meet his eyes only looking down immediately trying to hide the pain writing all over his face. 

“Stephen, baby what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I'm fine. I just need some fresh air.” 

Tony moves to sit next to him. The first thing he noticed was just how bad his hands were shaking. 

“Stephen, your hands are shaking.” Tony lightly grabbed his hands causing Strange to flinch at the contact. “Baby, please tell me what’s wrong.” Tony laced their fingers together and looked back up at his partner's face. 

“I’m fine Tony. I just need to take a breather. I told you that.” Stephen looked over at Tony once more. 

“Oh Stephen, why are you crying?”

“It’s really nothing Tony. Nothing important at least.” Stephen looked down at their laced fingers and a few new tears fell down his cheeks. 

“Hey honey, look at me.” Tony grabbed Stephen’s chin and tilted it up towards him. “You don’t have to hide all the time. You don’t always have to pretend.”

Stephen abruptly stood, “But you don’t understand, I do! I have to be the glue that holds us all together because let’s face it. The team would be a mess if I broke. I can’t do that to everyone else. I must be strong for everyone else.” The last sentence was barely audible. “If I break… I don’t know if I can put myself back together.” He looked at his husband in the eye. Seeing his tears fall he looked back down. “I’m sorry.”

“No. Don’t you dare be sorry—“ he cupped his face “—You might not be able to pick the pieces up but I promise you I will. You don’t always have to be the strong one. It’s okay to be broken.”

Tony pulled Stephen into his arms and sat them back on to the couch. He felt the wet spot growing on his shoulder but pretended not to notice. 

“It’s going to be alright. It might not be now but I can promise you it will be.” 

The sobs turned to silent cries. The silent cries turned to whimpers. The whimpers turned to sniffles. The sniffles became deep and even breaths. 

“Levi, can you carry him? He’s too heavy.”

The cloak came over and picked up its master and carried it back into the master bedroom. 

“Thanks, buddy.”

Tony kisses the top of Stephen’s head then cuddled into his side. Breathing him in. 

He might be right. He was the glue that held the team together. But he didn’t always have to be. He didn’t always have to be the strong one. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos and prompts are appreciated!


End file.
